Polling on resident satisfaction with councils

July 2016 Acknowledgements

The Local Government Association (LGA) Research and Information Team would like to thank Populus Data Solutions for their input to this work. We would also like to thank all the participants who took part in the polling.

To view more research from the Local Government Association Research and Information team please visit: http://www.local.gov.uk/local-government-research Contents

Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 5

Key findings ............................................................................................................................ 7

Polling on resident satisfaction with councils ................................................................. 10 Overall satisfaction with local area ................................................................................. 10 Overall satisfaction with local council .......................................................................... 11 Value for money .............................................................................................................. 12 Council responsiveness ................................................................................................. 13 Informed about the council ............................................................................................ 13 Trust ................................................................................................................................. 14 Community safety ........................................................................................................... 17 Service specific satisfaction ............................................................................................ 19 Use of Services ............................................................................................................... 22 The media ....................................................................................................................... 22 Cuts to local council services ......................................................................................... 24

Annex A: Time series data ................................................................................................. 25 Overall satisfaction with local area ................................................................................. 25 Overall satisfaction with local council .......................................................................... 26 Value for money .............................................................................................................. 27 Council responsiveness ................................................................................................. 27 Informed about the council ............................................................................................ 28 Trust ................................................................................................................................. 28 Community safety ........................................................................................................... 30 Service specific satisfaction ............................................................................................ 32 Media coverage ............................................................................................................... 37

Annex B: Use of Council Services ..................................................................................... 39

Annex C: Polling questions ................................................................................................. 41 Introduction

This report outlines the fourteenth set of results in a series of regular Local Government Association (LGA) public polls on resident satisfaction with local councils, conducted every four months.¹

With the publication of Are You Being Served² – a set of resident satisfaction questions that councils can choose to use in their local surveys and benchmark themselves against other authorities – the LGA has responded to demand from the sector for more intelligence in this area.

Our national polling complements councils’ local work by regularly looking at the national picture. Tracking national changes in satisfaction with councils alongside questions on other related issues about residents’ local areas can provide valuable information on what is driving resident perceptions and, therefore, what councils can do to serve their local communities better.

Many additional factors will influence resident views of councils at a local level, including local demographics. It is important, therefore, that polling results are seen as complementary to a wider approach aimed at understanding and responding to communities at a local level.

Comparison against national polls provides context and trends, and helps to identify possible relationships with other variables, but councils could include additional questions in their local surveys and conduct other engagement activities. Analysis of this information might help diagnose what other factors are driving satisfaction levels locally.

Methodology

Between 23 and 26 June 2016, a representative random sample of 1,001 British adults (aged 18 or over) was polled by telephone.³

Respondents were given the following preamble at the outset:

“I would like to ask you some questions about your local council. Local councils are responsible for a range of services such as refuse collection, street cleaning, planning, education, social care services and road maintenance.

If you live in an area with more than one council please think about the way in which they deliver services to you overall. This would include district and county councils. We are doing this to keep the survey simple as it is part of a national study.”

¹ Note that until October 2014, the polling was conducted quarterly, and this has now changed to once every four months. ² http://lginform.local.gov.uk/about-lg-inform/resident-satisfaction ³ Quotas were set on age, gender and region and the data weighted to the known British profile of age, gender, region, social grade, taken a foreign holiday in the last 3 years, tenure, number of cars in the household, working status, and mobile only households. The polling was conducted by Populus Data Solutions. The full interview script is included in Annex D for information. Where the questions cover the same topics as the Are You Being Served question set, the same question ordering, wording, definitions and preamble have been used to allow comparability.4

Where tables and figures report the base, the description refers to the group of people who were asked the question. The number provided refers to the unweighted number of respondents who answered each question.

This is the fourteenth round of polling in this series, and the paper examines trends since the first round in September 2012.5 Differences between results are only highlighted within the report where this is statistically significant.6

Please note the following when reading the report:

- Throughout the report percentages in figures and tables may add to more than 100 due to rounding.
- The following conventions are used in tables: ‘\*’ - less than 0.5 per cent; ‘0’ – no observations; ‘-’ – category not applicable/data not available.

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4 The mode of data collection can have a marked impact on results, therefore, results are only truly comparable with surveys conducted via telephone. 5 The full papers outlining the results of previous polls can be found here: http://www.local.gov.uk/research-performance-and-improvement 6 Statistical significance is tested at the 95% level. Key findings

The LGA’s June 2016 poll did not find any significant changes concerning its six key indicators of resident satisfaction since its last poll in February. Although the results for each indicators were slightly higher than in the previous poll, opinion did not vary enough between the two polls to indicate a meaningful change in residents’ satisfaction with their local area and local council. Figure 1 shows the June results compare to all others since 2012.

Figure 1: Polling results for key indicators: September 2012 – June 2016

Looking at the polling results over the last 12 months, satisfaction was particularly high in September 2015. Indeed, trust in one’s local council, and agreement that one’s local council acts on the concerns of local residents, hit their highest level across all 13 polls. Agreement that one’s council provides value for money also peaked in the September 2015 poll (matched only by our first poll in September 2012).

7 The full sample sizes for previous rounds are as follows: 1,006 British adults in September 2012, 1,004 in January 2013, 1,036 in April 2013, 1,002 in July 2013, 1,003 in October 2013, 1,008 in January 2014, 1,005 in April 2014, 1,001 in July 2014, 1,002 in October 2014, 1,003 in February 2015, 1,008 in June 2015, 1009 in September 2015, 1001 in June 2016 In this round, just over two-thirds of respondents were satisfied, overall, with the way their local council runs things (68 per cent). This is consistent with most other polls since July 2014 (barring a spike in September 2015).

Five out of the eight services provided by local councils, asked about in the poll, saw slight increases in satisfaction since the previous poll in February 2015, but none of these were statistically significant. It is worth noting that, while services and support for older people saw a one percentage point increase in this poll, overall satisfaction stood at one of the lowest levels recorded (45 per cent – the lowest level is 44 per cent reported in July 2014 and February 2016). Similarly, overall satisfaction with services and support for children and young people stood at one of its lowest levels (49 per cent – a previous low of 47 per cent was reported in June 2015).

Of the three services where satisfaction dropped (although not significantly), overall satisfaction with street cleaning stood at its lowest level ever in this poll (69 per cent – previous scores have been between 71 and 76 per cent). This poll also recorded the lowest level of satisfaction with library services (61 per cent – previous scores have been between 62 and 71 per cent). Overall satisfaction with waste collection also dropped in this poll, but the same figure (or lower) was reported in four previous polls.

There have been a small number of significant changes in the polling results since September 2012, and the notable changes in this round are highlighted below:

- While overall satisfaction with one’s local area as a place to live saw no significant change since the last poll (standing at 82 per cent), there was a significant increase in the proportion of residents who were ‘very satisfied’ compared to three previous polls.

- The previous poll saw overall satisfaction with the way one’s local council runs things council drop to its lowest ever level across all 13 polls; satisfaction rose by two percentage points in this poll (reaching 68 per cent).

- Fifty one cent of respondents agreed, overall, that their local council provides value for money. Compare to June 2015, there was a significant increase in the proportion of residents who ‘strongly agreed’ that their council provides value for money (and also among those who gave a neutral reply).

- The proportion of respondents who said, overall, their local council acts on the concerns of local residents dropped to its lowest level in the last poll; satisfaction rose by four percentage points in this poll (reaching 61 per cent).

- The proportion of respondents who said, overall, their local council keeps residents well informed about its services and benefits dropped to its lowest level in the last poll; satisfaction rose by two percentage points in this poll (reaching 63 per cent).

- Sixty three per cent of respondents said they trusted their council ‘a great deal’ or ‘a fair amount’ – a four percentage point increase from the previous poll. • Seventy two per cent of respondents said they trusted their local council the most (compared to ‘the government’) to make decisions about how local services are provided in their local area – this is a significantly lower proportion than in the previous two polls (and also than polls in January 2014 and July 2014).

• Seventy one per cent of respondents said they trusted local councillors the most (compared to ‘members of parliament’, ‘government ministers’ or ‘none of these’) to make decisions about how services are provided in their local area – this a significantly lower proportion than in January 2014 when the question was first introduced.

• As in previous rounds, most respondents said they felt safe in their local area. Seventy nine per cent said they felt ‘very safe’ or ‘fairly safe’ after dark, which is consistent with previous rounds. Further, respondent feelings of safety during the day in their local area also remain very high, with 95 per cent saying that they felt ‘very safe’ or ‘fairly safe’ (which is significantly higher than the previous poll).

• This round saw no significant changes in satisfaction across the eight council services asked about in this poll. The most notable changes were:

o Satisfaction with road cleaning is at 69 per cent – the lowest level recorded over the 14 polls.

o Satisfaction with library services is at 61 per cent – the lowest level recorded over the 14 polls.

o The median score for satisfaction with services and support for older people across all 14 polls is 49 per cent. In this round, overall satisfaction was at 45 per cent, which is one of the lowest scores recorded.

o The median score for satisfaction with services and support for children and young people across all 14 polls is 51 per cent. In this round, overall satisfaction was at 49 per cent, which is one of the lowest scores recorded. Polling on resident satisfaction with councils

This section outlines the full set of polling results.

Overall satisfaction with local area

The vast majority of respondents were positive about their local area as a place to live – with 82 per cent ‘very satisfied’ or ‘fairly satisfied’ in June 2016. This is a similar level to that seen in previous rounds (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your local area as a place to live?8

Levels of satisfaction re: local area as a place to live

| Month | Very or fairly satisfied | Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | Very or fairly dissatisfied | Don’t know | |---------|--------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------|------------| | Sep-12 | 84 | 6 | 9 | 9 | | Jan-13 | 64 | 9 | 9 | 9 | | Apr-13 | 82 | 8 | 9 | 9 | | Jul-13 | 85 | 7 | 9 | 9 | | Nov-13 | 84 | 8 | 9 | 9 | | Jan-14 | 83 | 10 | 9 | 9 | | Apr-14 | 82 | 10 | 9 | 9 | | Jul-14 | 80 | 8 | 9 | 9 | | Oct-14 | 82 | 8 | 9 | 9 | | Feb-15 | 80 | 8 | 9 | 9 | | Jun-15 | 83 | 8 | 9 | 9 | | Sep-15 | 81 | 8 | 9 | 9 | | Feb-16 | 82 | 8 | 9 | 9 | | Jun-16 | 82 | 8 | 9 | 9 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

8 Local area was defined as “the area within 15 – 20 minutes walking distance from your home”. Overall satisfaction with local council

Satisfaction among respondents with the way their local councils run things has stood at between 67 and 72 per cent for the last three years. In this round, 68 per cent of respondents were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘fairly satisfied’. There was a significantly higher proportion who were ‘neither satisfied nor dissatisfied’ compared to most other polls, however, those who were dissatisfied overall has dropped from a peak in the last poll (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way your local council runs things?

Levels of satisfaction re: way local council runs things

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 Value for money

In the first round of polling in September 2012, and again in September 2015, 56 per cent of respondents ‘tended to agree’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that their local council provided value for money, significantly higher than most rounds. In this round, the proportion who agreed that their council provides value for money stands at 51 per cent (see Figure 4).

Figure 4: To what extent do you agree or disagree that your local council(s) provides value for money?(^9)

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(^9) The following preamble was used: “In considering the next question, please think about the range of services your local council(s) provides to the community as a whole, as well as the services your household uses. It does not matter if you do not know all of the services your local council(s) provides to the community. We would like your general opinion.” Council responsiveness

This is an important measure of local accountability as it looks at whether councils are perceived to be responsive to local issues and problems. As Figure 5 shows, in this round, 61 per cent of respondents said that their council acts on the concerns of local residents either a great deal or a fair amount.

Figure 5: To what extent do you think your local council(s) acts on the concerns of local residents?

![Levels of quality re: council responsiveness](chart)

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

Informed about the council

The proportion of respondents who said that their local council keeps residents ‘very well informed’ or ‘fairly well informed’ about the services and benefits it provides has remained stable in 2015 and 2016. However, the proportion of residents who were ‘very well informed’ or ‘fairly well informed’ stood at 63 per cent in this round, lower than the high of 69 per cent in January 2013 and other rounds in the same year. In addition, respondents who felt they were ‘not very well informed’ has also been higher in the past two polls than for 2013 results (see Figure 6 and Annex 1). Figure 6: Overall, how well informed do you think your local council(s) keeps residents about the services and benefits it provides?

Levels of feeling informed re: services/benefits provided by council

| Month | Very or fairly well informed | Not well informed | Don't know | |---------|------------------------------|-------------------|------------| | Sep-12 | 66 | 29 | 0 | | Jan-13 | 69 | 32 | 0 | | Apr-13 | 65 | 32 | 0 | | Jul-13 | 66 | 31 | 0 | | Nov-13 | 66 | 34 | 0 | | Jan-14 | 66 | 34 | 0 | | Apr-14 | 65 | 36 | 0 | | Jul-14 | 64 | 33 | 0 | | Oct-14 | 66 | 36 | 0 | | Feb-15 | 64 | 38 | 0 | | Jun-15 | 61 | 36 | 0 | | Sep-15 | 61 | 38 | 0 | | Feb-16 | 63 | 38 | 0 | | Jun-16 | 63 | 37 | 0 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

Trust

Levels of trust in councils have been fairly consistent since polling started in September 2012 and rose significantly in September 2015. However, as Figure 7 shows, in this round, the proportion of respondents who said that they trusted their council ‘a great deal’ or ‘a fair amount’ stands at 63 per cent, which is a more typical level. Figure 7: How much do you trust your local council(s)?

A new question was introduced in the July 2013, looking at public trust in local councils to make decisions about how services are provided in their local area, compared to their trust in the government.

Figure 8 shows that the vast majority of respondents said, of the two, they trusted their local council most to make decisions about how services are provided in their local area. In the most recent poll, 72 per cent said they most trusted their local council; a drop since the September 2015 and February 2016 peak. The proportion of respondents who trusted the government most is much lower, at 16 per cent. Figure 8: Who do you trust most to make decisions about how services are provided in your local area?\\textsuperscript{10}

A new question was also introduced in the January 2014 asking which \\textit{individuals} were most trusted by respondents to make decisions about how services are provided in their local area. As Figure 9 shows, local councillors remain by far the most trusted group, with 71 per cent of respondents stating that they most trusted local councillors to make decisions about services compared to members of parliament and also government ministers. This is similar to most previous rounds.

\\textsuperscript{10} ‘Neither’ was not read out to respondents as an answer option but the interviewer could code it if it was given spontaneously. Figure 9: And which individuals do you trust most to make decisions about how services are provided in your local area?\\textsuperscript{11}

![Individuals most trusted to make decisions about services](image)

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

**Community safety**

Most respondents said they felt safe in their local area. Seventy nine per cent said they felt ‘very safe’ or ‘fairly safe’ after dark, this is similar to recent rounds and significantly higher than the 75 per cent who said they felt ‘very safe’ after dark in September 2012 (see Figure 10).

\\textsuperscript{11} ‘None of the above’ was not read out to respondents as an answer option but the interviewer could code if it was given spontaneously Figure 10: How safe or unsafe do you feel when outside in your local area after dark\\textsuperscript{12}

As Figure 11 shows, respondent feelings of safety during the day in their local area also remains high, with 95 per cent saying that they felt ‘very safe’ or ‘fairly safe’ – a similar level to previous rounds. This includes 62 per cent of respondents who said that they feel ‘very safe’ and 33 per cent who feel ‘fairly safe’.

\\textsuperscript{12} Local area was defined as “the area within 15 – 20 minutes walking distance from your home”.

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 Figure 11: How safe or unsafe do you feel when outside in your local area during the day\\textsuperscript{13}

![Levels of feeling safe during the day](image)

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

**Service specific satisfaction**

Respondents were invited to indicate how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with the following key services:

- waste collection
- street cleaning
- road maintenance
- pavement maintenance
- library services
- sport and leisure services
- services and support for older people
- services and support for children and young people

Respondents’ views remained positive for the majority of services in this round (see Figure 12). As in all previous rounds, levels of satisfaction with waste collection was higher than overall satisfaction with how the council runs things; 81 per cent were fairly or very satisfied with waste collection, compared to 68 per cent for overall

\\textsuperscript{13} Local area was defined as “the area within 15 – 20 minutes walking distance from your home”.

19 satisfaction with the way one’s local council runs things (Figure 2). Street cleaning historically also had a high level of satisfaction, but it is now in line with overall satisfaction at 69 per cent.

Road maintenance and pavement maintenance continue to have the highest levels of dissatisfaction. In this round, 44 per cent were very or fairly dissatisfied with road maintenance, whilst 31 per cent were very or fairly dissatisfied with pavement maintenance.

As Figure 13 shows, levels of satisfaction with specific services have remained fairly stable since the polling began in September 2012, although several notable changes were observed in this round.

Tables showing the full set of service-specific satisfaction results can be found at Annex A.

**Significant changes are:**

- **Street cleaning**: Satisfaction in June 2016 has dropped to 69 per cent, which is lower than all previous polls (overall satisfaction was at least 71 per cent for all other polls).

- **Road maintenance**: Satisfaction has dropped significantly since the September 2015 poll which stood at 48 per cent, the highest peak in satisfaction, now at 43 per cent it is similar to levels observed for most other polls.

- **Library services**: Satisfaction has reduced to 61 per cent, significantly lower than most other polls and in line with a lower level of satisfaction first seen in June 2015. There has been a significant increase in respondents who are ‘neither satisfied nor dissatisfied’, at 22 per cent it is higher than all previous rounds except June 2015.

- **Sport and leisure services**: After a peak in September 2015, satisfaction is again in line with previous polls (now at 64 per cent), but there has been a significant drop in those ‘very dissatisfied’ from on average six per cent down to four per cent.

- **Services and support for older people**: Satisfaction has dropped significantly since previous rounds (now at 45 per cent compared to values of over 49 per cent). There has also been a significant increase of those answering ‘neither satisfied nor dissatisfied’ (now at 33 per cent); as there has also been a decrease in those who are dissatisfied. This could reflect that many respondents will not have direct experience of this service.

- **Services and support for children and young people**: Satisfaction this year is significantly lower than the September 2015 poll (which stood at 55 per cent) – its highest peak. It is now at 49 per cent. Again, it is worth noting that many respondents will not have direct experience of this service and the

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14 Note that as this question was asked of all respondents, the base includes those that may not have used particular services. proportion answering ‘neither satisfied nor dissatisfied’ (26 per cent) or ‘don’t know’ (nine per cent) reflects this.

No significant change:

- **Waste collection**: Satisfaction remains at the 80 per cent level, as in all polls except June 2015 when it stood at 77 per cent.

- **Pavement maintenance**: Satisfaction remains at the 50 per cent level, as in most previous polls (significant variations have been observed in three other polls)

**Figure 12: Levels of satisfaction with key council services – June 2016**

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 Use of Services

Respondents were asked whether they, or someone in their immediate family, had used any public services that are provided, or supported, by their council in the last 12 months.

The most used services by respondents or their immediate family were ‘parks and open spaces’ (75 per cent), ‘waste/recycling’ (66 per cent) and ‘roads/parking/pavement’ (57 per cent). The least used services were ‘environmental health’ (for example noise control and pest control) (10 per cent), ‘trading standards/consumer protection’ (fair trading) (10 per cent) and ‘children and families support’, including children’s centres (11 per cent). Full results are available in Annex B.

The media

Respondents were asked whether, overall, they thought that the media had viewed the following organisations positively or negatively in the last few months:

- the government
- local councils across the country
- their own local council. As with the previous rounds of polling, on balance, respondents said the media had relayed positive or neutral, rather than negative, messages about local government. National government fared less on this measure.

Regarding the government, the proportion of respondents observing positive coverage was 15 per cent, significantly lower than most previous rounds, this mirrors an increase in observed negative coverage (currently at 56 per cent up from 40 per cent in February 2016).

When asked about one’s own council, perceptions of media coverage have remained fairly consistent, with the majority observing positive or neutral coverage. Currently:

- Twenty eight per cent of respondents observe generally positive coverage of their own local council – an increase on the last poll which stood at 22 per cent – but lower compared to most previous rounds. Forty six per cent answered ‘neither positively nor negatively’.
- Nineteen per cent of respondents observe generally positive coverage of local councils across the country – an increase on the drop seen in the last poll which stood at 15 per cent – but lower than some previous rounds. Forty one per cent answered ‘neither positively nor negatively’.

Figure 14 shows the proportion of respondents who said that media coverage had been positive, since September 2012. Table 1 show the results for all answer options since October 2013; the full set of figures can be found at Annex A.

**Figure 14: Overall, do you think that the media has viewed the following positively in the last few months?**

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 Table 1: Overall, do you think that the media has viewed the following positively or negatively in the last few months?

| Round: | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Feb | Jun | | | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | % | | The Government | Positively | 20 | 24 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 29 | 27 | 23 | 15 | | | Neither positively/negatively | 20 | 23 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 34 | 26 | | | Negatively | 54 | 49 | 51 | 54 | 49 | 47 | 40 | 43 | 40 | 56 | | | Don’t know | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | | Local councils across the country | Positively | 24 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 15 | 19 | | | Neither positively/negatively | 29 | 28 | 39 | 36 | 42 | 34 | 43 | 41 | 50 | 41 | | | Negatively | 34 | 37 | 30 | 36 | 32 | 40 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 33 | | | Don’t know | 13 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | | Your local council | Positively | 36 | 37 | 32 | 35 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 35 | 22 | 28 | | | Neither positively/negatively | 30 | 32 | 40 | 36 | 43 | 39 | 44 | 41 | 53 | 46 | | | Negatively | 25 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | | | Don’t know | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

Cuts to local council services

A new question was introduced in February 2015 asking respondents how concerned, if at all, they were about the effects of cuts to local council services on them and their family in the next 12 months. Table 2 shows, in this round, 66 per cent were very or fairly concerned – a significant increase compared to the previous round but in line with other rounds.

Table 2: How concerned, if at all, are you about the effects of cuts to local council services on you and your family in the next 12 months?

| Round: | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|----|----|----|----|----| | | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | | 2015 | 2016 | % | | Very or fairly concerned | 72 | 68 | 68 | 61 | 66 | | Very concerned | 34 | 34 | 33 | 24 | 28 | | Fairly concerned | 38 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 38 | | Not very concerned | 18 | 21 | 21 | 26 | 21 | | Not concerned at all | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | | Don’t know | * | * | * | * | 1 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 Annex A: Time series data

Overall satisfaction with local area

Table A1: Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your local area as a place to live?(^{15})

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | Sep 2012 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 82 | 80 | 82 | 80 | 82 | 83 | 81 | 82 | | Jan 2013 | 34 | 28 | 34 | 34 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 31 | 37 | 31 | 33 | | Apr 2013 | 50 | 57 | 48 | 51 | 50 | 53 | 54 | 50 | 53 | 52 | 51 | 46 | 50 | 49 | | Jul 2013 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | | Oct 2013 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | | Jan 2014 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | | Apr 2014 | 0 | * | 1 | * | * | 0 | * | 0 | * | * | 0 | * | - | * | | Jul 2014 | 0 | * | 1 | * | * | 0 | * | 0 | * | * | 0 | * | - | * | | Oct 2014 | 0 | * | 1 | * | * | 0 | * | 0 | * | * | 0 | * | - | * | | Feb 2015 | 0 | * | 1 | * | * | 0 | * | 0 | * | * | 0 | * | - | * | | Jun 2015 | 0 | * | 1 | * | * | 0 | * | 0 | * | * | 0 | * | - | * | | Sep 2015 | 0 | * | 1 | * | * | 0 | * | 0 | * | * | 0 | * | - | * | | Feb 2016 | 0 | * | 1 | * | * | 0 | * | 0 | * | * | 0 | * | - | * | | Jun 2016 | 0 | * | 1 | * | * | 0 | * | 0 | * | * | 0 | * | - | * |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

(^{15}) Local area was defined as “the area within 15 – 20 minutes walking distance from your home”.

(^{16}) Whilst the individual ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ answer options displayed in Table A1 for January 2013 appear to sum to 85 per cent, this is due to the fact the figures in the table have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Please note that this may also occur in other parts of the report where answer categories are combined.

## Overall satisfaction with local council

### Table A2: Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way your local council(s) runs things?

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | Sep 2012 | 72 | 72 | 70 | 72 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 67 | 68 | 67 | 71 | 66 | 68 | | Jan 2013 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 15 | 18 | | Apr 2013 | 53 | 57 | 50 | 54 | 50 | 55 | 54 | 52 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | | Jul 2013 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 12 | | Oct 2013 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 14 | | Jan 2014 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | | Apr 2014 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | | Jul 2014 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | | Oct 2014 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | | Feb 2015 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | | Jun 2015 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | | Sep 2015 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | | Feb 2016 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | | Jun 2016 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

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17 Whilst the individual ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ answer options displayed in Table A1 for January 2013 appear to sum to 73 per cent, this is due to the fact the figures in the table have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

### Value for money

**Table A3: To what extent do you agree or disagree that your local council(s) provides value for money?**

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | 2012 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2014 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2015 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2016 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Strongly or tend to agree | 56 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 51 | 53 | 48 | 49 | 51 | 53 | 51 | 56 | 50 | 51 | | Strongly agree | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 12 | | Tend to agree | 46 | 42 | 40 | 42 | 39 | 44 | 37 | 37 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 39 | 39 | | Neither agree nor disagree | 21 | 29 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 31 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 26 | | Tend to disagree | 15 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 12 | 17 | 15 | | Strongly disagree | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | | Don't know | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | * | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

### Council responsiveness

**Table A4: To what extent do you think your local council(s) acts on the concerns of local residents?**

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | 2012 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2014 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2015 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2016 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | A great deal or fair amount | 62 | 60 | 61 | 63 | 62 | 61 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 63 | 59 | 65 | 57 | 61 | | A great deal | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | | A fair amount | 54 | 52 | 51 | 54 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 51 | 54 | 48 | 52 | | Not very much | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 31 | 27 | 31 | 29 | | Not at all | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 6 | | Don't know | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

______________________________________________________________________

18 The following preamble was used: “In considering the next question, please think about the range of services your local council(s) provides to the community as a whole, as well as the services your household uses. It does not matter if you do not know all of the services your local council(s) provides to the community. We would like your general opinion.” Informed about the council

Table A5: Overall, how well informed do you think your local council(s) keeps residents about the services and benefits it provides?

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | Sep | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jan | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Apr | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jul | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Oct | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jan | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Apr | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jul | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Oct | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Feb | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jun | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2012 | 66 | 69 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 66 | 64 | 61 | 63 | 61 | 63 | 63 | | 2013 | 66 | 69 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 66 | 64 | 61 | 63 | 61 | 63 | 63 | | 2014 | 66 | 69 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 66 | 64 | 61 | 63 | 61 | 63 | 63 | | 2015 | 66 | 69 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 66 | 64 | 61 | 63 | 61 | 63 | 63 | | 2016 | 66 | 69 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 66 | 64 | 61 | 63 | 61 | 63 | 63 |

Very or fairly well informed

| Very well informed | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 16 | | Fairly well informed | 49 | 52 | 48 | 51 | 49 | 51 | 51 | 49 | 51 | 49 | 49 | 47 | 48 | 47 | | Not very well informed | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | | Not well informed at all | 8 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | | Don’t know | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

Trust

Table A6: How much do you trust your local council(s)?

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | Sep | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jan | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Apr | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jul | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Oct | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jan | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Apr | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jul | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Oct | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Feb | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jun | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2012 | 61 | 62 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 61 | 58 | 65 | 59 | 63 | | 2013 | 61 | 62 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 61 | 58 | 65 | 59 | 63 | | 2014 | 61 | 62 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 61 | 58 | 65 | 59 | 63 | | 2015 | 61 | 62 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 61 | 58 | 65 | 59 | 63 | | 2016 | 61 | 62 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 61 | 58 | 65 | 59 | 63 |

A great deal or fair amount

| A great deal | 10 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | | A fair amount | 51 | 55 | 51 | 53 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 51 | 50 | 53 | 50 | 55 | 50 | 53 | | Not very much | 26 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 25 | 29 | 25 | | Not at all | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 12 | | Don’t know | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 Table A7: Who do you trust most to make decisions about how services are provided in your local area?(^{19})

| Round: | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016 | | Your local council(s) | 70 | 71 | 77 | 72 | 80 | 73 | 75 | 72 | 76 | 77 | 72 | | The government | 14 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 16 | | Neither | 13 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 11 | | Don’t know | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

Table A8: And which individuals do you trust most to make decisions about how services are provided in your local area?(^{20})

| Round: | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | | 2014 | 2015 | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016 | | Local councillors | 76 | 73 | 75 | 72 | 73 | 70 | 75 | 74 | 71 | | Members of parliament | 9 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | | Government ministers | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | | None of the above | 8 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | | Don’t know | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

(^{19}) ‘Neither’ was not read out to respondents as an answer option but the interviewer could code it if it was given spontaneously.

(^{20}) ‘None of the above’ was not read out to respondents as an answer option but the interviewer could code it if it was given spontaneously.

## Community safety

### Table A9: How safe or unsafe do you feel when outside in your local area after dark

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | | Very or fairly safe | 75 | 76 | 78 | 77 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 79 | 78 | 79 | 79 | | Very safe | 27 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 34 | | Fairly safe | 48 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 45 | | Neither safe nor unsafe | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | | Fairly unsafe | 12 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | | Very unsafe | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | | Don’t know | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | * | * | 1 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

______________________________________________________________________

12 Local area was defined as "the area within 15 – 20 minutes walking distance from your home". Table A10: How safe or unsafe do you feel when outside in your local area\\textsuperscript{22} during the day

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | | Very or fairly safe | 95 | 95 | 96 | 95 | 95 | 94 | 94 | 95 | 94 | 94 | 96 | 94 | 93 | 95 | | Very safe | 60 | 62 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 62 | 63 | 62 | 63 | 65 | 68 | 67 | 63 | 62 | | Fairly safe | 35 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 33 | | Neither safe nor unsafe | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | | Fairly unsafe | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | * | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | | Very unsafe | * | * | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | * | * | 1 | * | | Don't know | 0 | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | 0 | * | * |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

\\textsuperscript{22} Local area was defined as “the area within 15 – 20 minutes walking distance from your home”.

31 Service specific satisfaction

Table A11: I am going to read out a number of different types of services that are provided by your council(s) in your area. I would like you to tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are overall with your council's...

| Round: | ... waste collection(^{23}) | |--------|-----------------------------| | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Feb | Jun | | 2012 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2014 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2015 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2016 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Very or fairly satisfied | 83 | 86 | 84 | 84 | 83 | 80 | 81 | 80 | 83 | 80 | 77 | 82 | 81 | 80 | | Very satisfied | 45 | 45 | 48 | 43 | 44 | 41 | 41 | 39 | 41 | 42 | 39 | 44 | 41 | 39 | | Fairly satisfied | 37 | 41 | 36 | 41 | 39 | 39 | 41 | 42 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 40 | 41 | 41 | | Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | | Fairly dissatisfied | 7 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | | Very dissatisfied | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | | Don't know | 1 | * | * | * | 1 | 0 | * | 0 | * | * | * | * | * | * |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

(^{23}) Note that in September 2012 respondents were asked about 'refuse collection'.

### Table A11 continued…

#### ... street cleaning

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |-------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | 2012 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2014 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2015 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2016 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| Very or fairly satisfied | 74 | 73 | 76 | 74 | 76 | 72 | 73 | 73 | 75 | 71 | 72 | 75 | 73 | 69 | | Very satisfied | 27 | 26 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 29 | 26 | 24 | | Fairly satisfied | 47 | 47 | 46 | 48 | 49 | 48 | 50 | 48 | 50 | 44 | 48 | 45 | 47 | 45 | | Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 6 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11 | | Fairly dissatisfied | 12 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | | | Very dissatisfied | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | | Don’t know | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | 1 | * |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

### Table A11 continued…

#### ... road maintenance

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |-------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | 2012 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2014 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2015 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2016 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| Very or fairly satisfied | 46 | 46 | 40 | 45 | 42 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 42 | 38 | 39 | 48 | 40 | 43 | | Very satisfied | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 8 | | Fairly satisfied | 35 | 35 | 30 | 35 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 37 | 32 | 35 | | Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 10 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | | Fairly dissatisfied | 24 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 25 | 21 | | Very dissatisfied | 19 | 20 | 28 | 20 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 27 | 23 | 19 | 23 | 23 | | Don’t know | * | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | * | * | * | * | * | * |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

### Table A11 continued…

#### … pavement maintenance

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | 2012 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2014 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2015 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2016 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Very or fairly satisfied | 58 | 57 | 56 | 59 | 54 | 51 | 55 | 54 | 56 | 53 | 54 | 57 | 53 | 54 | | Very satisfied | 15 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 13 | | Fairly satisfied | 43 | 44 | 41 | 47 | 41 | 39 | 42 | 41 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | | Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 9 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | | Fairly dissatisfied | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 18 | | Very dissatisfied | 13 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | | Don’t know | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

### Table A11 continued…

#### … library services

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | 2012 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2014 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2015 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2016 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | % | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Very or fairly satisfied | 67 | 69 | 71 | 67 | 70 | 66 | 67 | 71 | 66 | 67 | 62 | 67 | 64 | 61 | | Very satisfied | 34 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 26 | 26 | | Fairly satisfied | 34 | 40 | 41 | 35 | 38 | 36 | 40 | 41 | 35 | 38 | 32 | 38 | 38 | 35 | | Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 22 | | Fairly dissatisfied | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | | Very dissatisfied | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | | Don’t know | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

### Table A11 continued…

#### … sport and leisure services

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | | Very or fairly satisfied | 63 | 63 | 65 | 63 | 63 | 62 | 61 | 64 | 65 | 62 | 62 | 66 | 61 | 64 | | Very satisfied | 21 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 25 | 20 | 19 | | Fairly satisfied | 42 | 43 | 43 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 44 | 41 | 43 | 42 | 40 | 45 | | Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 13 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 19 | | Fairly dissatisfied | 11 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 9 | | Very dissatisfied | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | | Don’t know | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

### Table A11 continued…

#### … services and support for older people

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | | Very or fairly satisfied | 49 | 48 | 49 | 52 | 45 | 49 | 50 | 44 | 49 | 50 | 45 | 51 | 44 | 45 | | Very satisfied | 10 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 10 | | Fairly satisfied | 39 | 35 | 34 | 40 | 35 | 38 | 39 | 31 | 36 | 38 | 33 | 36 | 33 | 34 | | Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 27 | 31 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 33 | | Fairly dissatisfied | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 11 | | Very dissatisfied | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | | Don’t know | 18 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 Table A11 continued…

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | | Very or fairly satisfied | 53 | 51 | 53 | 50 | 53 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 51 | 51 | 47 | 55 | 48 | 49 | | Very satisfied | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 13 | | Fairly satisfied | 39 | 38 | 38 | 35 | 39 | 34 | 38 | 33 | 40 | 38 | 35 | 38 | 36 | 36 | | Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 15 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 21 | 26 | 26 | | Fairly dissatisfied | 10 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 11 | | Very dissatisfied | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 5 | | Don’t know | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

## Media coverage

### Table A12a: Overall, do you think that the media has viewed the following positively or negatively in the last few months?

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep 2012 | Jan 2013 | Apr 2013 | Jul 2013 | Oct 2013 | Jan 2014 | Apr 2014 | Jul 2014 | Oct 2014 | Feb 2015 | Jun 2015 | Sep 2015 | Feb 2016 | Jun 2016 | | Positively | 19 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 24 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 29 | 27 | 23 | 15 | | Neither positively nor negatively | 23 | 28 | 29 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 34 | 26 | | Negatively | 54 | 50 | 46 | 52 | 54 | 49 | 51 | 54 | 49 | 47 | 40 | 43 | 40 | 56 | | Don’t know | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

### Table A12b: Overall, do you think that the media has viewed the following positively or negatively in the last few months?

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep 2012 | Jan 2013 | Apr 2013 | Jul 2013 | Oct 2013 | Jan 2014 | Apr 2014 | Jul 2014 | Oct 2014 | Feb 2015 | Jun 2015 | Sep 2015 | Feb 2016 | Jun 2016 | | Positively | 23 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 15 | 19 | | Neither positively nor negatively | 30 | 38 | 39 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 39 | 36 | 42 | 34 | 43 | 41 | 50 | 41 | | Negatively | 34 | 31 | 27 | 34 | 34 | 37 | 30 | 36 | 32 | 40 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 33 | | Don’t know | 13 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 Table A12c: Overall, do you think that the media has viewed the following positively or negatively in the last few months?

| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |--------|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|----|----|----|----|----| | | Sep | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct | Feb | Jun | Sep | Feb | Jun | | | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | 2016 | | Positively | 33 | 28 | 33 | 37 | 36 | 37 | 32 | 35 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 35 | 22 | 28 | | Neither positively nor negatively | 34 | 43 | 41 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 40 | 36 | 43 | 39 | 44 | 41 | 53 | 46 | | Negatively | 21 | 18 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | | Don’t know | 12 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016

## Annex B: Use of Council Services

### Table 13: Have you, or someone in your immediate family, used any of the following public services provided or supported by your council in the last 12 months...

| Service | Yes | No | Don't know | % | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----|----|------------|-----| | **Advice services** | | | | | | Yes | 23 | 76 | 1 | 2016| | No | 21 | 79 | * | | | **Care for the elderly by social services** | | | | | | Yes | 15 | 85 | * | | | No | 12 | 88 | * | | | **Care for other adults (disabled, mental health problems) by social services** | | | | | | Yes | 16 | 83 | * | | | No | 15 | 85 | * | | | **Children and families support, including children’s centres** | | | | | | Yes | 12 | 87 | 1 | | | No | 11 | 88 | 1 | | | **Education/schools** | | | | | | Yes | 38 | 62 | * | | | No | 34 | 66 | * | | | **Environmental health (e.g. noise and pest control)** | | | | | | Yes | 16 | 84 | * | | | No | 10 | 90 | * | | | **Housing/social housing/council housing** | | | | | | Yes | 22 | 78 | * | | | No | 16 | 83 | * | | | **Sport and leisure facilities** | | | | | | Yes | 47 | 53 | * | | | No | 44 | 56 | * | | | **Libraries** | | | | | | Yes | 52 | 48 | * | | | No | 45 | 55 | * | | | **Local museums and galleries** | | | | | | Yes | 37 | 63 | * | | | No | 37 | 63 | * | | | **Local theatres/concert halls** | | | | | | Yes | 43 | 56 | * | | | No | 38 | 62 | * | | | **Parks and open spaces** | | | | | | Yes | 80 | 75 | * | | | Service | Yes | No | Don’t know | |----------------------------------------------|-----|-----|------------| | Planning services and building control | 16 | 83 | 1 | | Public transport information | 60 | 40 | * | | Roads/parking/pavement | 64 | 35 | * | | Support for local businesses | 18 | 81 | 1 | | Trading standards/consumer protection | 11 | 88 | 1 | | Waste/recycling | 76 | 24 | - |

Base (all respondents): 1,001 British adults in June 2016 Annex B: Polling questions

I would like to ask you some questions about your local council. Local councils are responsible for a range of services such as refuse collection, street cleaning, planning, education, social care services and road maintenance.

If you live in an area with more than one council please think about the way in which they deliver services to you overall. This would include district and county councils. We are doing this to keep the survey simple as it is part of a national study.

1. Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your local area as a place to live?

   Please consider your local area to be the area within 15–20 minutes walking distance from your home

   Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Don't know

2. Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way your local council(s) runs things?

   Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Don't know

3. In considering the next question, please think about the range of services your local council(s) provides to the community as a whole, as well as the services your household uses. It does not matter if you do not know all of the services your local council(s) provides to the community. We would like your general opinion.

   To what extent do you agree or disagree that your local council(s) provides value for money?

   Strongly agree Tend to agree Neither agree nor disagree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don't know

4. To what extent do you think your local council(s) acts on the concerns of local residents?

A great deal A fair amount Not very much Not at all Don't know

5. Overall, how well informed do you think your local council(s) keeps residents about the services and benefits it provides?

Very well informed Fairly well informed Not very well informed Not well informed at all Don't know

6. How much do you trust your local council(s)?

A great deal A fair amount Not very much Not at all Don't know

7. Who do you trust most to make decisions about how services are provided in your local area?

SELECT ONE ANSWER OPTION ONLY RANDOMISE ORDER

Your local council(s) The government Neither (not read out but the interviewer can code if given spontaneously) Don't know

8. And which individuals do you trust most to make decisions about how services are provided in your local area?

SELECT ONE ANSWER OPTION ONLY RANDOMISE ORDER

Local councillors Members of parliament Government ministers None of the above (not read out but the interviewer can code if given spontaneously) Don't know

9a. How safe or unsafe do you feel when outside in your local area after dark? Please consider your local area to be the area within 15 – 20 minutes walking distance from your home

Very safe Fairly safe Neither safe nor unsafe Fairly unsafe Very unsafe Don't know

9b. How safe or unsafe do you feel when outside in your local area during the day?

Please consider your local area to be the area within 15 – 20 minutes walking distance from your home

Very safe Fairly safe Neither safe nor unsafe Fairly unsafe Very unsafe Don't know

10. I am going to read out a number of different types of services that are provided by your council(s) in your area. I would like you to tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are overall with your council’s…

Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Don’t know

RANDOMISE ORDER

Waste collection Street cleaning Road maintenance Pavement maintenance Library services Sport and leisure services Services and support for older people Services and support for children and young people

11. Thinking about your local area, which THREE things are most important to you and your family?

SELECT UP TO THREE ANSWER OPTIONS

RANDOMISE ORDER

Waste collection Street cleaning Condition of roads/pavements Library services Local high street facilities Job prospects Public transport Sport and leisure services Services and support for older people Facilities/services for children and young people (not including schools) Housing Schools Consumer protection and environmental health (e.g. rogue traders, noise) Levels of crime and anti-social behaviour None of the above (not to be read out but coded if given spontaneously and no options selected above) Don’t know

12. Have you, or someone in your immediate family, used any of the following public services provided or supported by your council in the last twelve months.

Yes/No/Don’t know

Advice services (including on benefits and council tax) Care for the elderly by social services Care for other adults (disabled, mental health problems) by social services Children and families support, including children’s centres Education/schools Environmental health (for example, noise control and pest control) Housing/social housing/council housing Sport and leisure facilities Libraries Local museums and galleries Local theatres/concert halls Parks and open spaces Planning services and building control (for example, planning permission) Public transport information Roads/parking/pavements Support for local businesses Trading standards/consumer protection (fair trading) Waste/recycling

15. Overall, do you think that the media has viewed the following positively or negatively in the last few months?

Positively Neither positively nor negatively Negatively Don’t know 16. How concerned, if at all, are you about the effects of cuts to local council services on you and your family in the next 12 months?

Very concerned Fairly concerned Not very concerned Not concerned at all Don't know